Stop motion devices



ATTORNEY July 17, 1956 s. J. ADAMS STOP MOTION DEVICES Filed Oct. 26. 1955 2 EJL aL United States Patent STOP'MOTION DEVICES Simpson J. Adams, Greenville, S. C.

A lication O to er 9 3, Serial N 3835295 9 Claims. (CI. 5781) This. invention relates to. stop motion devices for use on textile machines tor. autom cal y ppi g machine when a strand of textile material being operated on by the machine breaks or acquires anexcessive amount of slack. The invention is especially adapted for use on roving machines and machines of a similar nature in which a strand of textile material is twisted and drafted simultaneously.

My invention isconcernecl with stop motion devices of the type in which a drop wire is provided for each strand arid each dropwire controls an electric switch to close a circuit to stop the machine when any drop Wire responds to a: break in a strand or to an excessive amount of slack in a strand. One feature of the present invention is the provision of a mounting bar extending throughout the length of the machine for supporting individual switch structures which provide pivotal mounting for the drop wires. The mounting bar embodies twoelectric conductors arranged in parallel relation and supported on the bar in such manner that the necessary electric connections are completed .to each switch structure bythe mounting of the switch in its, normal position on the mounting bar.

Each switch structure is provided with two contact pacts extending out of the switch casing inproper position to engage the two conductors carried by the mounting bar.

A further feature of the invention comprises an improved switch structure having a pivoted switch element which provides a pivoted support for a drop wire.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent from the following description taken inconnection with the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view showing a fragmentary part of a roving machine in front elevation;

Figure 2 is a sectional View of Figure 1 taken along the line 2--2 and showing one textile strand. in operative relation with one drop wire;

Figure 3 is an enlarged plan view of one of the. switch structures showing the top portion of the switch casing removed;

Figure 4 is a sectional view of Figure 3 taken along the line 44, but showing the top portion of the switch casing in its normal position;- and Figure 5 is a plan view of a ringelement providing a bearing support for the rotary element of'the switch.

Referring to the drawing, power driven draft rolls of the roving: machine are indicated at 1-, and .the .cooperating top rolls, which are usually covered with. cork or leather; are shown at 2.. The draft rolls are journalled upon suit-able brackets 3 mounted upon the machine frame 4. As shown, in Figure 1, the draft; rolls, ,1, and 2 comprise a series of longitudinal sec ions en a in each other, and. a strand; r sliver is ed e a k: pai of rolls of each section by means. of a guiding trumpet 5. The slivers pass successively between the. sec nd and third pair of draft rolls and extend. tQ rotating flye rs n). r nged in front of he roving mach ne- Each roving extending from the rolls 1-2 is provided 2,754,653 Patented July 17, 1956 ice with a pivotally mounted drop wire having a circular eye through which the roving passes. In Figure 2 one roving 6 is shown passing through the circular eye 7 mounted at the upper end of a drop wire 8 extending upward; from a stub shaft 9 journalled in a switch casing 10. The lowerend of wire 8 extends into a transverse bore inthe outer 6nd of shaft 9- and is secured to the shaft by a set-screw 90, see Figure 4-. As shown in Figure 1, alternate drop wires are of a different length from the remaining drop wires; the longer drop wires accommodating; the yarns or roving supplied to the front row of flyers and the shorter drop wires accommodating the roving-supplied-to the back row of flyers.

The switch members 10 are suitably mounted on. the outer face of; the vertical flange 4a carried by the roll beam 4, the switches being locatedso that the pivoted shafts 9 are directly below the rovings passing through the eyes 7. For the purpose ofmaking proper electrical connections to the; various switch elements, the switches are not mounted directly onthe flange 4a, but: are mounted upon a special mounting strip which is secured to the outerface of flange 4a and extends throughout the length of the roving machine. The special mount-ing strip is formed of a strip 11 of suitable insulating'mater-ia-l; such as wood', andis fastened by any suitable means to the front face offlange 4a. A pair of electric conductors 12 and 16 are carried bythe strip 11 in suchposition that proper connect-ions to the different switches are completedsimply by mounting the switch casing on the mounting strip. One suit-able arrangement is to provide conductors 12 and 13' in the form of fiat strips whichare mounted within parallel grooves formed on the front face of the insulating strip 11, the conductors 12 and 13 extending slightly above the outer face of strip 11 to facilitate making electric connections with the projecting parts of the electricswitches. By proper modification of the projecting parts of the switches, conductors 12 and 1% could be mounted on the narrow edges of; strip 11-. p

The details of the individual switches are shown in Figures 3 to 5, inclusive. Theswitch casing is formed of a base section 10a and a top or cover section 1%, both being formed of molded insulating material. The top section 10b hasbeen removed from the unit shown in Figure 3 but shown in proper position in Figure 4. Eachswitch casing is secured to the mounting strip 11 by means of ametal strap 14 having a central portion extendingacross the casing between the top and bottom portions thereof and being provided with apertured ear portions 14a and; 14b at the ends thereof bywhich the strap is secured torhe mounting strip 11 by suitable securing means, suchas ordinary wood screws. The strap 14 is located so that the ears 14a and 1412 make contact with conductor 12- when the switch housing is secured to mounting strip 1 1.

The shaft 9 for supporting the drop wire 8 is journalled near its outer end inthe top wall of cover portion 10b of the casing andisprovided with a section 9a of enlarged diameter loca-ted partly within the top section and extending into the bottom section of the casing. The enlarged section 9a of shaft 9' is journalled within the bottom por tion 10aof the casing by means of a metallic ring 15 which is held in proper position within the bottom section of the-casing'by' any suitable means, such as lugs 16a, 1-61) and extending'u-p from the bottom wall of the casing. The ring- 1-15- is provided with a tail piece 15a extending outwardly from the ring and having its end portion clamped between thetop and bottom section of the casing. Electrical contact is made-between conductor 13 and the ring 15 by meansof a wire spring 16- located in a bore formed in the bottom section of the casing imother end having contact with the tail piece 15a. A projection 19-: carried on the inner face of cover portion b is arranged to bear against the tail piece a opposite the point of contact of the spring 16 and prevents the spring from dislodging the ring from its proper position.

The enlarged portion 9a of shaft 9 is provided with a transverse groove 9b formed substantially through onehalf of the enlarged portion and in a position to receive the central portion of metal strap 14. As shown in Figure 3, the strap 14 is notched at its central section so that the bottom edge 140 of the notch is parallel with the bottom of the notch 9b in the shaft section 9a when the drop wire 8 is in a vertical position. In this position of the drop wire and shaft, the shaft is insulated from the strap 14, but if the drop wire 8 tilts in one direction or the other, the bottom wall of the notch 912 will come into contact with the strap 14- at one point on the edge 14c, and this will complete a connection from conductor 12 through the strap 14, through the shaft 9 to the ring 15, and then through the spring 16 to the conductor 13. This will effect the closing of a stop circuit to interrupt the operation of the roving machine. The stop circuit may be of known form and is represented diagrammatically in Figure 1 as including a source of current 17 and an electromagnet 18 which operates any suitable means to effect stopping of the machine.

It will be seen that strap 14 comprises the fixed contact of the switch and is releasably connected to conductor 12 by ears 14a and 14b projecting out of the switch casing. Also, the shaft 9, the pivotal support for the drop wire, constitutes the movable contact of the switch and is releasably connected to conductor 13 by spring 16 projecting out of the switch casing.

It will be clear that various details in construction may be varied without departing from the scope of my invention as defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a textile machine in which a plurality of textile strands are supplied from draft rolls to a row of flyers arranged parallel with said rolls, the combination of a bar mounted below said strands between said rolls and said flyers and arranged parallel with said row of flyers, said bar being formed of insulating material and extending throughout the length of said machine, a pair of electric conductors mounted in parallel upon said bar and having exposed conducting portions extending throughout the length of said bar, a plurality of electric switches having individual casings formed of insulating material and mounted upon said bar at spaced locations, one switch casing being mounted below each textile strand, each switch comprising a fixed contact and a movable contact and including parts projecting from said casing and making contact with exposed portions of said parallel conductors respectively, means mounting the movable contact of each switch for pivotal movement about an axis at right angles to said bar and parallel with the associated strand, and a drop wire mounted upon the pivotal axis of each movable contact of each switch and extending upwardly into operative relation with the strand located above the switch.

2. A drop wire assembly for a textile machine comprising an elongated bar formed of insulating material, a pair of electric conductors supported upon said bar in parallel relation, each conductor having an exposed conducting surface extending throughout the length of said bar, a plurality of electric switches having individual casings of insulating material mounted at spaced points along said bar, a shaft journalled in each switch casing and extending outwardly from the casing on an axis at right angles to said bar, a drop wire carried by the outer end of said shaft and extending at right angles to the axis of the shaft and to the axis of said bar, a fixed switch contact within said casing and having a part projecting from said easing into contact with an exposed portion of one of said conductors, a movable switch contact arranged to engage said fixed contact and having a part projecting from said casing into engagement with an exposed portion of the other of said conductors, said shaft being connected to said movable contact for effecting engagement of said movable contact with said fixed contact by pivotal movement of said shaft.

3. A drop wire assembly for a textile machine comprising an elongated bar formed of insulating material, a pair of electric conductors supported upon said bar in parallel relation, each conductor having an exposed conducting surface extending throughout the length of said bar, a plurality of electric switches having individual casings of insulating material mounted at spaced points along said bar, a shaft journalled in each switch casing and extending outwardly from the casing on an axis at right angles to said bar, a drip wire carried by the outer end of said shaft and extending in a normal position at right angles to the axis of the shaft and to the axis of said bar, two conducting parts projecting from said easing into contact with exposed portions of said two conductors respectively, and means carried by said shaft within said casing for effecting an electrical connection between said conducting parts within said casing when said drop wire tilts to one side or the other from its normal position.

4. A drop wire assembly for a textile machine comprising an elongated bar formed of insulating material, a pair of electric conductors supported upon said bar in parallel relation and extending throughout the length of said bar, a plurality of electric switches having individual casings of insulating material mounted at spaced points along said bar, a shaft journaled in each switch casing and extending outwardly from the casing on an axis at right angles to said bar, a drop wire carried by the outer end of said shaft and extending in a normal position at right angles to the axis of the shaft and to the axis of said bar, a portion of said shaft within said casing having a transverse slot formed therein, a conducting plate extending into said slot and being insulated from said shaft when said drop wire is in normal position and the bottom wall of said slot coming into contact with the edge of said plate when said drop wire tilts in either direction from its normal position, means connecting said conducting plate electrically to one of said parallel conductors, and means providing an electrical connection between said shaft and the other parallel conductor.

5. A drop wire assembly for a textile machine comprising an electric switch having an insulating casing, a metallic shaft journaled in said casing and having one end thereof extending outwardly from the casing, a drop wire carried by the outer end of said shaft and extending at right angles to the axis of said shaft and in a normal position with respect to said casing, a portion of said shaft within said casing having a transverse slot formed therein, a conducting plate extending into said slot and having one edge thereof arranged parallel with the bottom of said slot but spaced a short distance therefrom, whereby said plate is normally insulated from said shaft and contact is established between the bottom wall of the said slot and the edge of said plate when said drop wire tilts in either direction from its normal position, a conducting part extending outside of the casing from said conducting plate, and a conducting part extending outside of said casing from the inner portion of said shaft.

6. A drop wire assembly according to claim 5 wherein the conducting part for the inner portion of said shaft includes a metallic bearing for the inner portion of said shaft.

7. A pivotal support for a drop wire for a textile machine comprising an insulating casing, a metallic shaft journaled in said casing and having one end thereof extending outwardly from the casing, the outer end of said shaft having a transverse bore formed therein for receiving one end of a drop wire, a portion of said shaft within said casing having a transverse slot formed therein, a conducting plate extending into said slot and having one edge thereof arranged parallel with the bottom of said slot but spaced a short distance therefrom, whereby said plate is normally insulated from said shaft and contact is established between the bottom wall of the said slot and the edge of said plate when said shaft is turned in either direction from its normal position, a conducting part extending outside of the casing from said conducting plate, and a conducting part extending outside of said casing from the inner portion of said shaft.

8. A drop wire assembly for a textile machine comprising an elongated bar formed of insulating material and having a pair of parallel grooves formed in the outer surface thereof and extending throughout the length of the bar, a pair of electric conductors supported within said grooves and extending throughout the length of said bar, a plurality of electric switches having individual casings of insulating material mounted at spaced points along said bar, a shaft journaled in each switch casing and extending outwardly from the casing on an axis at right angles to said bar, a dropwire carried by the outer end of said shaft and extending in a normal position at right angles to the axis of the shaft and to the axis of said bar, two conducting parts projecting from said casing in locations to establish contact with said pair of conductors respectively, and means carried by said shaft within said casing for effecting an electrical connection between said conducting parts within said casing when said drop-wire tilts to one side or the other from its normal position.

9. A drop-wire assembly for a textile machine comprising an elongated bar formed of insulating material and having a pair of parallel grooves formed in the outer surface thereof and extending throughout the length of the bar, a pair of electric conductors supported within said grooves and extending throughout the length of said bar, a plurality of electric switches having individual casings of insulating material mounted at spaced points along said bar, each switch comprising a fixed contact and a movable contact mounted within its insulated casing and having conducting parts extending out of said casing in locations to establish contact with said pair of conductors respectively, means mounting the movable contact of each switch for pivotal movement about an axis at right angles to said bar, and a drop-wire connected to the movable contact of each switch, the dropwire of each switch normally extending at right angles to said 'bar and being tilta'ble about the pivotal axis of the connected movable contact to effect engagement of the movable contact with the fixed contact within the switch casing.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,372,556 Sawtell Mar. 22, 1921 1,678,975 Cocker July 31, 1928 2,444,553 Cone July 6, 1948 

